Chapter 38
“Are you sure, Eva?” Sonia asked for the millionth time as we walked up the front of the police station.
“Yes.” I turned and gripped her arm. “Please. They don’t deserve to be shoved in there.” My voice cracked. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she slowly nodded. We continued inside the air-conditioned room, striding toward the information desk.
Glass was between us and the officer behind the barrier. Another man was already there, speaking to him.
“And my clients have a right to representation.”
“As I explained, they’re being processed.”
“It doesn’t take three hours to process.”
“It does when there’s an influx of prisoners.”
I didn’t wait behind the man. Instead I rushed to the desk and placed my hand on the metal counter jutting out from the wall.
“I need to see the Ironwyld Pack.”
“Get in line,” the officer muttered, flashing a look at the man next to me.
“Mrs. Ironwyld, we spoke earlier today.” He tilted his head, not putting his hand out to shake mine.
I couldn’t stop wringing my hands. “Bill,” I said. The lawyer was a tall, bulky Alpha. “You haven’t been able to see them?”
“No, they claim they’re being processed.”
I whirled on the officer. “Let him in to see them.”
The officer kept stiffening incrementally.
“Pheromones are coming off you in waves,” Sonia murmured near my ear. His reaction made more sense. “You must be close to your heat.”
“They wouldn’t want you here, ma’am,” Bill said gently.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I gritted out. “This is one of the people who made the report. There was a misunderstanding that made her submit it.”
Bill’s eyebrows raised, and he looked at the woman. “Sonia?”
She nodded. Bill’s smile curled wider, and a gleam entered his gaze.
“Perfect. I’ll have them out in no time if you’re retracting your report.” I pressed my hand to my chest and exhaled hard. Bill looked at me. “Go home and rest. I’ll be here until they’re released.” He leaned slightly away from me, a red flush crawling up his neck.
“I’m not—”
“Your pheromones are going to make things harder.” Fern finally stepped forward with a slight shake of her head.
Oh. I needed Bill clearheaded, but also, if they knew I was out here perfuming up the place, it could drive them mad. I started nodding slowly.
“Please get them out,” I asked the big Alpha. He nodded once.
I backed up, meeting Sonia’s eyes. She smiled and waved. She was already dressed for work because from here she was heading out.
Fern shuffled me out the rest of the way, leading me to the car. I was on edge. I plopped onto the passenger-side seat and drooped against it. Fern settled in and started the car.
“I apologize for not telling you the truth.”
“It’s okay, I could tell you were hiding something, but we’re trained not to push.”
Hugging myself, I nodded and watched the blur of cars pass. “I will advise though, next time, maybe get dressed before running around like a banshee.” I looked down at my PJs and slippers. I’d been so rushed I hadn’t bothered to dress appropriately.
“You’re right,” I mumbled sheepishly.
I’d yanked the gray comforter off Dorian’s bed and currently had all my comfy, soft blankets bunched around the bed. I kept rearranging the mink one though.
Kicking off the slippers, I climbed on and curled in the middle. Still, something was off. I rubbed my cheek against the fur. It tangled with my bare legs. After showering, I’d put on panties and my sleep shirt. I rolled to my other side.
Nope, that didn’t help. Sitting up, I huffed. Dorian’s dresser snagged my attention. I scooted off the bed, opened his shirt drawer, then pulled one of his button-downs out and pressed it to my face.
It calmed the niggling itchiness. I needed a shirt from each of them.
Shoving my feet into the slippers, I shuffled down the hall to Cade’s bedroom.
His bed wasn’t made, and the single blanket was bunched at the end with a shirt tossed over it.
I went directly for it and picked up the Cade coated shirt. It passed the sniff test.
Now one of Rafe’s. His room was neater, with everything carefully in place. His drawers were open and inside, everything was mixed and jumbled. I sought out one of his shirts and grabbed it.
Hugging them to my chest, I returned to Dorian’s bedroom, back to his cell which I’d left in the room.
A few hours had passed and still no news. When I first returned to the house, I’d been calling Bill every thirty minutes, and he finally told me he needed to focus on getting them out. I crawled back up the bed and nestled in the middle, tugging the blanket barrier closer until it touched my skin.
My anxiety hadn’t lessened, and it wouldn’t until they returned. I curled their shirts closer to me, inhaling them like I could suck them into myself.